Majora’s Mask PC Ports Prove It’s One Of The Most Beloved Zelda Game

The first Legend of Zelda game was released in 1986 and the series has become a postal in the gaming world since. In the past, players were forced to use subpar emulators or scrounge for older consoles to play the classics. I don’t think I’d be able to show my face in public if I told you how much I paid for my Nintendo 64. Fortunately, fan-made unofficial PC ports are here to save the day.

The first N64 Legend of Zelda PC port was based on Ocarina of Time and fans were excited for the impending release of Majora’s Mask. They were pleasantly surprised when they got two almost back-to-back, and both appeal to different audiences. From the faithful recompilation to the PC port with various additions, there’s something for everyone.

Regardless of the difference between the two ports, it’s obvious that fans are still in love with Majora’s Mask. Nintendo might think Majora’s Mask is the dark horse of The Legend of Zelda series, but I think the success of the game’s PC ports proves it’s one of the most beloved games in the series.

No Shortage Of Majora’s Mask Ports Here

Ocarina of Time was the first N64 game to get an unofficial PC port in the form of the Ship of Harkinian. The developers of SoH stated they were working on releasing a port for the other beloved N64 Legend of Zelda game, Majora’s Mask. However, that was not the only surprise fans were in for.

We’re in a golden age of gaming. Zelda: Majora’s Mask now has a PC port that can be played in proper widescreen, with 144+ fps, and gyro aiming. Can’t wait to see this bad boy with ray tracing and hd textures!
byu/Jodeth ingaming

Before the Harkinian team released their version fittingly called 2 Ship 2 Harkinian, a static recompilation of Majora’s Mask came out. The two ports couldn’t be more different from each other, but the core idea between both is the same. They aim to let Majora’s Mask fans play the game without resorting to wonky emulators and illegal ROMs.

I’ve given both a shot and each gave me a different experience. The static recompilation let me replay my childhood game without hiccups and with modern features like autosave. The 2 Ship 2 Harkinian port, meanwhile, let me add some personalized mods and mess with the features to change things up. I tried a randomizer race with my friend and neither could finish the game but it was a blast regardless.

Static Recompilation Vs 2 Ship 2 Harkinian

The static recompilation provides higher refresh rates than the base game and has the Nintendo’s original N64 effects intact. This makes the game look good on the PC while retaining the original feel. Another nifty addition is the ability to enable auto-save, and I can’t tell you how convenient that made my playthrough. Add gyro aim and I don’t think I can play the original again.

Do you know what I can return to? 2 Ship 2 Harkinian. The PC port was built using Majora’s Mask’s source code post-decompilation and is currently in the playtesting stage. The developers warn that it might run into bugs and errors since the build is unstable, even if I haven’t really noticed any issues.

Majora’s Mask’s PC port has fewer features compared to Ship of Harkinian. This is mostly because the focus is to make the port stable. Where it lacks in the graphical compartment it more than makes up for in the mods department. Infinite health, magic, and rupee cheats are all readily available for players to tweak to their enjoyment.

These Ports Prove Majora’s Mask’s Success

The more successful Ocarina of Time often overshadows Majora’s Mask. Additionally, the game’s features like the three-day cycle and approach toward adding grief and loss in the main story likely put many casual players off. However, that isn’t to say it doesn’t have a dedicated fanbase, and the success of the two PC ports proves that.

Majora’s Mask is still my favorite game of all time, and getting the chance to play it with modern features and looking better than ever is amazing. I urge Majora’s Mask fans and those who didn’t like it before to give the ports a shot. Who knows, one of them might hit home with you and you might become a lifelong Majora’s Mask enjoyer like me.